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And Ken is not invited over . . . ever!

I can’t say I have much insight on this one (yet). My daughter is only two but I suppose I should start talking with my wife about this now. As I read this article I couldn’t help but think of the “chicken and egg” question – which came first? Is Barbie a reflection of popular culture or is she a creator of popular culture? Whatever your answer may be, I suppose the real issue is what does she have to say about life to little girls (& boys & their parents)? Right off the top I would point out that western cultures place very little (zero perhaps) emphasis on the moral value of modesty. I don’t blame Barbie for this but I’m not sure she does much to persuade little girls (or their parents) otherwise.

2 thoughts on “And Ken is not invited over . . . ever!”

Heck yes my daughters are having barbies!!!!!!!!!! This is because they will have a working knowledge of how God loves them, created them and made them just as they should be. And parents who exemplify and support that knowledge. When I played barbies I didn’t have the cognition to compare myself to barbie- I just used her as a portal to my imagination. And I would often play with her as I saw adults behaving in my life or on TV. So I think those things have a greater bearing than the doll itself. So yes Noah- you’re thoughts are overblown. Look into the different types of barbies. There are ones that come out around Christmas with really beautiful victorian gowns. There are mermaid ones. A whole bunch that can be used for imagination and fun. As far as the other questions- no there is no difference between the modesty of girls in the church or outside of it. In any capacity. Its a mixed bag of humility, pride, sexiness and being covered on both sides of the church walls. Unless you are talking about certain sects of conservative baptists like the duggars are apart of. We should take cues from them. And on that note boys can be immodest- by being cocky and rude. Because modesty is tied to a need for attention from others- and that can express itself in a myriad of ways. And goes back to whether we really believe that God sees us, loves us etc. and won’t/don’t need to look to others for that.

Interesting topic and article Noah. I don’t think I have ever thought about which came first barbie or the current view of women. Before I answer the questions above I feel it is necessary to ask/discuss the history of Barbie. What was she like when she first came out? What were the intentions for creating Barbie? Did our society start changing their view of women on their own and Barbie wasn’t initially involved?

After a quick Google search I found out that Barbie was created in the 50’s because there were no dolls that could fill an adult role in children’s play. She was modeled after a doll in Germany. In her history there has been lots of controversy over her appearance. The intent was to provide children with a adult doll that showed she cold have what ever carer she wanted. Personally I feel that Barbie may have had good intentions for being created but at the time she was created society’s view of women was changing dramatically and Barbie jumped right on that train and became a reflection of society’s views. If she was created in a different time period Barbies life could be much different.

One thing I found very interesting while researching was in the middle east they banned Barbies for a while saying “that she did not conform to the ideals of Islam. The Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice stated “Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful.” Now there are alternative dolls similar to Barbie but is designed to be more acceptable to an Islamic market. What does that say about us the ” perverted West”???

Now to the questions…
I never played with Barbies much and I see no benefit to introducing them to my daughter. If she see them and asks me for one I might tell her she can have one when she is older or I would try and educate her on who Barbie is and what will be expected of her as a adult Women in the 21st century. It might be a great way to bring up the topic??? Just like that article said you need to have the modesty conversations when they are 5 not when they are older and it is too late. Tell them your expatiation for them from the start so there is no misunderstanding when they get older.

I feel like this article is right on target! I think it is a valid point to bring up that no one is talking about. We have watched Barbies clothes and societies clothes get smaller and smaller in the past 50 years and it doesn’t seam to be a concern in popular culture. That is worrisome.

Modesty in the christian community I feel is all over the board. With some girls they are very modest, others are not. I think it depends on how they were raised and what standards their parents gave them. I also think it is reflective of how their walk with the Lord is. The closer they are to Him the more value the will have on their lives and dress appropriately.

I absoutly feel that Men can be immodest!!! If a guy wares a really tight shirt that shows off his mussels it is the same as if a girl ware a tight shirt that shows off her body. What if a guy doesn’t ware a shirt at all??? Modest or immodest? what about the sagging pants??? Walking around with their boxers hanging out. I think modesty really depends on the motive behind the clothes. Why are you choosing to where what you do? Is it to show off your body or capture the attention of a guy/girl? Just like with most things in the Bible that are not exactly black and white or don’t directly apply to our culture now it is the motive behind the action that is the most important to align our selves with God.

Over all great article and a topic that needs to be talked about more. Thanks Noah.
Alyse